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More Than Just a Warm, Fuzzy Feeling
Managers focused primarily on the bottom line tend to marginalize the discussion of ethics by shrugging their shoulders and insisting that "you can't teach ethics." What they really mean is that you can't teach values. Although each individual's moral compass is shaped by countless experiences over a lifetime-family, culture, friends, education, and religion-many organizations have established a code of conduct to guide their employees regarding their ethical responsibilities. An employee who departs from this guidance may have the burden of justifying such a departure in a disciplinary or legal proceeding.
Because of the many recent widely publicized corporate scandals, an entire generation has lost trust in the business community. But ethical business conduct is critical to every business' well-being. Corporate culture must include a commitment to embracing ethical values, not simply to avoid scandals but to regain the public's trust An online survey of more than 1,100 participants conducted by the American Management Association in 2005 found that the number-one reason cited for compromising one's ethical standards is "pressure to meet unrealistic business objectives/deadlines." The second response was "a desire to further...